Karen Zendrosky

Karen Lynn Zendrosky, age 16, went missing from Bordentown Township, New Jersey, on October 23, 1979.

She was last seen at a local bowling alley in the evening hours. She reportedly went to a water control plant with two or three men in their 20’s, but it is not known if she went willingly or against her will. The area was frequently used as a party spot back then.

Tips have come forward in the years since her disappearance, directing law enforcement to a sludge pit in the vicinity of the water plant – a search was done over several days, thanks to the wonderful people at J. Fletcher Creamer & Son, who volunteered their time and equipment to isolate and empty specific areas of interest in the sludge pits. Investigators stated that due to the lack of oxygen needed for decomposition, it was likely that her remains could be found in tact, along with items such as zippers and buttons.

The search turned up shotgun shells, plastic wrappers, and assorted litter. Investigators said the items were identifiable and well-preserved, and they were optimistic about finding her remains equally well-preserved. The three 10′ areas of the pit that were searched did not yield a body, and no further searching has been done.

I still think she’s there. I still think she can be found. I think she needs to be found.

According to ABC News, investigators have a good idea of who was responsible for her disappearance, and stated they intend to prosecute these individuals if sufficient evidence can be found.

Newspaper articles indicated that investigators are still seeking information on her disappearance – which initially frustrated me, because they’ve already talked to the people who were there at the water plant that night, they’ve been told that she was killed in the wooded area and then dumped into the sludge pit, and they admit they know who was likely involved. It seems as though they haven’t completely searched the sludge pit, so I felt as though their plea for more tips wouldn’t really be taken seriously. The only people who could tell investigators exactly where in the pit to find her are the same people investigators have already talked to.

To their credit, however, they are a small town and apparently each area they search costs approximately $250,000. I do understand that Bordentown probably doesn’t have the resources, without taking away from other crimes that are equally in need of their attention.

Due to the hazardous nature of dealing with the sludge, I’d guess it isn’t something that random volunteers can assist with. That’s unfortunate, as I’m sure there’d be hundreds of willing searchers.

Below is a Google Earth image of what I believe to be the water plant, with the sludge pit to the left.

There’s got to be some way that this search can continue so that Karen can be brought home.

Any self-employed haz-mat vacuum truck operators out there that might be willing to volunteer their services so we can bring this lovely girl home?

17 thoughts on “Karen Zendrosky”

Ever since Karen was brought up as a person of interest in the 1UFNY case, I have taken a profound interest in her. I’m not sure why, exactly, but some cases just stick with you. I don’t have a lot of money, but I absolutely have plenty of time, and I would be glad to assist.

Kelly, I was at the site working with the State Police when they were looking for Karen. I have worked with them and other agencies, but I am not a police officer. I want to give you and your family some information about your sister. I want to find her more than you do. They ran out of time and stopped looking for her. There is lot more to this story. Looking forward to hearing from you.

The area is over grown with poison and trees. It needs to be cleared and it it on private property. It would take money for the costs are very high to sift through the sludge. You must wait until late fall to walk the area with permission. I want to find her also.

For the record the three suspects are deceased. They were drug addicts. One died long before they started searching for her and the other died while they were searching for her. The last one is also gone. He was burned out. I do not feel she is in the pond. If you would like to email me privately it would be great to chat.

Kelly, If you are not related to the family who is Patrick? why would you say you were her sister? I will contact the family. Lying gets people into trouble. You shouldn’t be on this site if you consider it a joke.

My name is Dianne Zendrosky Walker. I am Karen’s younger sister. My email is diannemkew@aol.com. Kelly is Karen’s sister also and Patrick is her husband. Eleanor, please email me. I really just stumbled on this site by accident and am very interested in speaking with you, as I have spoken to the State Trooper who is now assigned my sister’s case, I’ve been wanting to open it up again for some time!! Thank you.

Did Karen have any ties to someone named Glenn? Could have been a friend or boyfriend? I’ve heard stories from my mother talking about how her sister had a boyfriend named Glenn back in the 80’s. My mother apparently heard a rumor that Glenn had a girlfriend in his past who threatened to break up with him, and she was never seen from again. My mother told me that the girl lived in Willingboro Township, but I believe it is possible that she could’ve lived in another township, but visited Glenn often in Willingboro. Anyways, after my mother heard the news that Glenn could have been responsible for the whereabouts of a missing girl, she immediately told her sister to cut ties with Glenn. Glenn was a possible marijuana dealer, and used marijuana himself, and even possibly harder drugs.